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Welcome to Windward Empathy! If you are new here we want you to know that this site is dedicated to helping you have a happier, more peaceful and self-connected life through empathy.

Our Story

We are Mark and Heather Schlessman and our story begins in Portland, Oregon where we had just moved to shepherd a religious community. Both of us had a longing to be present in this life in a very different way, and we weren’t sure how to get there. Each of us came to find the work of Marshall Rosenberg regarding nonviolent communication, and were lucky enough to find a protoge of his, Kathy Marchant. We took the introductory course and then began the weekly practice sessions that continued until we moved to Hawaii 4 years later. We found the process of nonviolent communication to be not only salvatory, but the key to a much happier life.

The emerging new self-awareness led us both to leave the jobs we had, and “jump from the plane” as we used to joke into a new life that we had never envisioned before. For us the process of nonviolent communication is very spiritual, but we believe that anyone from any religious or nonreligious background will find this helpful. The changes in our lives were so magical that we began to write about it.

Windward Empathy and Windward Empathic Communication on Facebook became a place for anyone who was interested in finding a happier, more peaceful life through empathy to find inspiration. It doesn’t require anyone to do anything, that would be a demand. Instead, we are hopeful that what we provide will contribute to the unique journey that you are having in your own life.

Marshall’s Writings

We encourage you to become acquainted to the process of nonviolent communication through the writings of Marshall Rosenberg: